Did the J&K anti-graft body arrest a government official for accepting bribes in Budgam?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Srinagar, Jan 10 (NationPress) The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Jammu and Kashmir apprehended a Patwari (revenue clerk) on Saturday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 in the Budgam district, according to officials.
As per the reports, the Jammu and Kashmir ACB successfully arrested a revenue clerk, locally known as Patwari, for soliciting and accepting a bribe in Budgam.
A statement released indicated that the ACB acted upon a formal complaint in which the complainant stated that he had approached the relevant revenue officials for obtaining a revenue extract and a bank lien certificate for a property located at Rakh Soothu Bagat-e-Kanipora to facilitate a bank guarantee.
The complainant claimed that the Patwari in charge of Halqa Rakh Soothu, identified as Riyaz Ahmad Khan, demanded a bribe amounting to between Rs 10,000 and Rs 30,000 for the preparation and delivery of the necessary documents, rather than processing the request legally.
Demonstrating his commitment to fighting against corruption, the complainant sought the intervention of the Srinagar ACB to take action against the accused.
Following the complaint, a discreet verification was conducted, which substantiated the bribe demand by the public servant.
An FIR was subsequently filed under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 at the Srinagar ACB Police Station, leading to a full investigation.
During the investigative process, a trap team was formed, which successfully apprehended the accused Patwari in the act of accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 from the complainant.
After fulfilling all necessary medico-legal protocols, the public servant was taken into custody.
Officials mentioned that further investigation is ongoing to determine if the accused has been involved in similar misconduct previously, as well as to identify any other officials who may be implicated.
The Jammu and Kashmir authorities, along with various agencies such as the Crime Branch, Economic Offences Wing (EOW), and State Investigation Agency (SIA), are actively engaged in rigorous efforts to combat corruption and financial crimes, aiming to enhance transparency and accountability in public service.